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Topic: Orthodox Folk/Death Metal? (Read 51318 times)

From what I have gathered, there are not many or any Orthodox/Catholic metal bands b/c there has never been a push to make Orthodox/Catholic cool.

Christian Rock/Metal seems to stem from protestantism and their ideas on "contemporary" ways to worship. Back when I was protestant there was a church that held a metal show with metal Christian bands rather often. An Orthodox church would likely never let something like that go down, and for good reason. We like our secular stuff secular and our Orthodox stuff Orthodox.

That being said.... I love death, thrash and grind. I wanted to go see Cattle Decapitation last night but I had to work.

From what I have gathered, there are not many or any Orthodox/Catholic metal bands b/c there has never been a push to make Orthodox/Catholic cool.

Christian Rock/Metal seems to stem from protestantism and their ideas on "contemporary" ways to worship. Back when I was protestant there was a church that held a metal show with metal Christian bands rather often. An Orthodox church would likely never let something like that go down, and for good reason. We like our secular stuff secular and our Orthodox stuff Orthodox.

That being said.... I love death, thrash and grind. I wanted to go see Cattle Decapitation last night but I had to work.

Fwiw, when I was in a Christian metal band, it had nothing to do with making something look cool, nor did it have anything to do with the way my Church worshiped. In our situation, we all went to the same small church, so everyone knew everyone else pretty well, and certain of us liked the same heavy bands: so it just made sense to get together and play the music that we liked (Metallica, Sabbath, Megadeth, etc.). Because we were Christians there was a Christian slant to the lyrics that we came up with for the terrible collection of chords we liked to call songs.

From what I have gathered, there are not many or any Orthodox/Catholic metal bands b/c there has never been a push to make Orthodox/Catholic cool.

Christian Rock/Metal seems to stem from protestantism and their ideas on "contemporary" ways to worship. Back when I was protestant there was a church that held a metal show with metal Christian bands rather often. An Orthodox church would likely never let something like that go down, and for good reason. We like our secular stuff secular and our Orthodox stuff Orthodox.

That being said.... I love death, thrash and grind. I wanted to go see Cattle Decapitation last night but I had to work.

Fwiw, when I was in a Christian metal band, it had nothing to do with making something look cool, nor did it have anything to do with the way my Church worshiped. In our situation, we all went to the same small church, so everyone knew everyone else pretty well, and certain of us liked the same heavy bands: so it just made sense to get together and play the music that we liked (Metallica, Sabbath, Megadeth, etc.). Because we were Christians there was a Christian slant to the lyrics that we came up with for the terrible collection of chords we liked to call songs.

I didn't mean to imply that your situation doesnt happen. I meant more that Christian Metal (actually moreso Christian rock) got popular and talked about b/c of church marketing tools to get young kids in church.

Im of the camp that "Christian Metal" doesn't even exist. Nor does "christian" rock, rap, country, blues, swing ect. "Christian" is just a topic, not a genre. If I write a metal song about a boat do we call it boat metal? lol

From what I have gathered, there are not many or any Orthodox/Catholic metal bands b/c there has never been a push to make Orthodox/Catholic cool.

Christian Rock/Metal seems to stem from protestantism and their ideas on "contemporary" ways to worship. Back when I was protestant there was a church that held a metal show with metal Christian bands rather often. An Orthodox church would likely never let something like that go down, and for good reason. We like our secular stuff secular and our Orthodox stuff Orthodox.

That being said.... I love death, thrash and grind. I wanted to go see Cattle Decapitation last night but I had to work.

Fwiw, when I was in a Christian metal band, it had nothing to do with making something look cool, nor did it have anything to do with the way my Church worshiped. In our situation, we all went to the same small church, so everyone knew everyone else pretty well, and certain of us liked the same heavy bands: so it just made sense to get together and play the music that we liked (Metallica, Sabbath, Megadeth, etc.). Because we were Christians there was a Christian slant to the lyrics that we came up with for the terrible collection of chords we liked to call songs.

I didn't mean to imply that your situation doesnt happen. I meant more that Christian Metal (actually moreso Christian rock) got popular and talked about b/c of church marketing tools to get young kids in church.

Im of the camp that "Christian Metal" doesn't even exist. Nor does "christian" rock, rap, country, blues, swing ect. "Christian" is just a topic, not a genre. If I write a metal song about a boat do we call it boat metal? lol

Good points. (Though regarding your boat metal idea, I do have to point out that my favorite of the newer bands--Mastodon--has been jokingly referred to as "whalecore" after their Moby-Dick-themed album Leviathan was released ).

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who can watch the watchmen?"No one is paying attention to your post reports"Why do posters that claim to have me blocked keep sending me pms and responding to my posts? That makes no sense.

Many Energies, 3 Persons, 2 Natures, 1 God, 1 Church, 1 Baptism, and 1 Cup. The Son begotten only from the Father, the Spirit proceeding only from the Father, Each glorifying the Other. The Son sends the Spirit, the Spirit Reveals the Son, the Father is seen in the Son. The Spirit spoke through the Prophets and Fathers and does so even today.

Many Energies, 3 Persons, 2 Natures, 1 God, 1 Church, 1 Baptism, and 1 Cup. The Son begotten only from the Father, the Spirit proceeding only from the Father, Each glorifying the Other. The Son sends the Spirit, the Spirit Reveals the Son, the Father is seen in the Son. The Spirit spoke through the Prophets and Fathers and does so even today.

(...)"As the alternative band OffiGella finishes its set, Rybko, 49, gets up and heads to the stage. He waits in the wings while his long-haired sidekick, Yuri, introduces him as a former hippy and regular rock festival attendee. The audience of 30 in front of the stage cheers when Rybko takes the microphone and flashes the peace sign."(...)

« Last Edit: November 02, 2010, 09:22:40 AM by Fabio Leite »

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Many Energies, 3 Persons, 2 Natures, 1 God, 1 Church, 1 Baptism, and 1 Cup. The Son begotten only from the Father, the Spirit proceeding only from the Father, Each glorifying the Other. The Son sends the Spirit, the Spirit Reveals the Son, the Father is seen in the Son. The Spirit spoke through the Prophets and Fathers and does so even today.

1. All That Remains - For We Are Many2. Acrassicauda - Only the Dead See the End of War3. Underoath - Ø (Disambiguation)4. As I Lay Dying - The Powerless Rise5. Exodus - Exhibit B: The Human Condition6. The Absence - Enemy Unbound

A few notes. It’s sort of funny that For We Are Many was my favorite album from this year, because it’s also one of the least heaviest albums I bought this year (probably second to the Avenged Sevenfold album I bought). The EP by the Iraqi band Acrassicauda is pretty good, and they‘ve been through a lot over the past 10 years. Underoath is back with another album, though none of the original members of the band remain; this album is better than their last one IMO, but doesn’t come close to what they did on Define the Great Line. I was also let down by the new one by As I Lay Dying, which I thought was a step down from An Ocean Between Us.

I mostly listen to thrash, with a smattering of other stuff, but there wasn't much that I liked this year. Maybe next year will be better... I'm expecting albums by Toxic Holocaust, Believer, Lazarus A.D., Megadeth, Tourniquet and Opeth. I'm also curious as to what Corrosion of Conformity will come up with without Pepper Keenan contributing to the album.

When I saw the words "Orthodox" and "Folk" together I began to have symptoms of liturgical PTSD.

For a good 20 (dark, psychotic) years in Catholicism, the Sunday folk Mass was "all the rage". Honestly, many people loathed it but went anyway.

First, the Mass usually doubled as a "Family Mass". Think littered Cheerios, dolls/toys as projectiles, sticky hands, plenty of running and shrieking. Many pastors quickly learned to say these Masses on a portable altar in a gym, unless the church look like a hotel room after a roadie gig.

Second, the pastor of my childhood church invented his own indult. He let everyone sit through the entire Mass. Consequently, plenty of elderly people heard this Mass because they would not stick out for not kneeling, since no one did!

And then there's the music. I'm convinced that small third world countries use the St. Louis Jesuit hymnal as an alternative to waterboarding. Even now, when I hear any bad guitar strumming, I get flashbacks to this Mass. Sometimes even the guitarist wouldn't show up to this Mass, and the "music minister" would use a synthesizer piano to plunk out folk Mass melodies to a calypso beat.

Be so glad that Orthodoxy didn't develop the Roman liturgical schizophrenia. Fortunately there is a medicine that alleviates some of the more obvious psychoses (Tridentine Masses), but many churches are still displaying overt delirium.

When I saw the words "Orthodox" and "Folk" together I began to have symptoms of liturgical PTSD.

For a good 20 (dark, psychotic) years in Catholicism, the Sunday folk Mass was "all the rage". Honestly, many people loathed it but went anyway.

First, the Mass usually doubled as a "Family Mass". Think littered Cheerios, dolls/Legos/toys as projectiles, sticky hands, plenty of running and shrieking. Many pastors quickly learned to say these Masses on a portable altar in a gym, unless the church look like a hotel room after a roadie gig.

Second, the pastor of my childhood church invented his own indult. He let everyone sit through the entire Mass. Consequently, plenty of elderly people heard this Mass because they would not stick out for not kneeling, since no one did!

And then there's the music. I'm convinced that small third world countries use the St. Louis Jesuit hymnal as an alternative to waterboarding. Even now, when I hear any bad guitar strumming, I get flashbacks to this Mass. Sometimes even the guitarist wouldn't show up to this Mass, and the "music minister" would use a synthesizer piano to plunk out folk Mass melodies to a calypso beat.

Be so glad that Orthodoxy didn't develop the Roman liturgical schizophrenia. Fortunately there is a medicine that alleviates some of the more obvious psychoses (Tridentine Masses), but many churches are still displaying overt delirium.

I haven't checked all of the links in the thread, but I don't think anyone has mentioned Aporea yet. They're a "ritual industrial" band from Yugoslavia who were apparently under the spiritual guidance of a Macedonian Orthodox priest. This blog posting here is the only thing I've ever seen online about them.

I haven't checked all of the links in the thread, but I don't think anyone has mentioned Aporea yet. They're a "ritual industrial" band from Yugoslavia who were apparently under the spiritual guidance of a Macedonian Orthodox priest. This blog posting here is the only thing I've ever seen online about them.

Apparently they're part of a project called Anastasia now?

They were under the guidance of Otec Sandžakovski if I remember correctly. Апокрифна Реалност (Apocryphal Reality) is the long version. They were more of a multimedia project, and included iconographers, plus one member who has since become ordained( at least I remember reading so). They were/are more folk and traditionalist minded, but they have a great sound. Two of their members, Goran Trajkovski and Zoran Spasovski were at the fore of reshaping Aporea into Anastasia in 1987 or so but I can't be too sure.

Anastasia did the soundtrack for the film Pred Doždot (Before the Rain) directed by Milčo Mančevski. Great film, and some beautiful scenes and shots within the Church of St. John at Kaneo.

I fully agree, I still have very bad memories of Roman Catholic 'folk masses'..appalling songs like ' Kum by Ya' ...endless renditions of Cat Stevens 'Morning has Broken' and the worst of all the Lord of the Dance...

BUT SURELY we can all see where the RC 'folk Mass' eventually leads when you view this amazing video of a completely blasphemous version of a 'Liturgy' held in a US Roman Catholic Church which involves choreography and GIANT PUPPETS... Yes Giant Puppets...Look at it and be amazed and appalled all at one

"Nothing troubles the man who is given over to the will of God.....He knows that the Lord in His mercy is solicitous for us.....But the proud and the self-willed do not want to surrender to God's will.." St Siluan the Athonite

Well death metal has bands such as Deicide (death of God) which completely satanic. Then lighter "death" bands such as Sepultura has integrated stylized 666's in their logo and has songs called "dead embryonic cells" referencing the lie they tell young women in abortions.

Metal bands like Metallica have lyrics such as "the god that failed".

I've heard complete blasphemy, denial of God, hatred, in most death metal songs along with metal songs.

I don't see any heavy metal, death metal, or most Rock and Roll songs compatible with being an Eastern Orthodox Christian.

Can't say that I agree. Metal gives me peace, comforts me in times of depression and sorrow, gives me an outlet or way of channeling anger and aggression, and frankly I find some of it to be quite beautiful (though I wouldn't expect someone not into metal--or even most metalheads--to consider metal "beautiful"). Are there anti-Christian lyrics? Sure. And I tend to avoid most bands who are overtly anti-Christian, not so much because I am offended, but more often because I find them to be silly (and not in a campy Manowar type silly, but more of a dumb silly).

As for the bands you mention in particular, I'm not at all familiar with Deicide, and despite most of my metal friends thinking that Sepultura were the greatest thing since sliced bread, I was never able to get into them. About Metallica I know a bit, though, being a former fanboy of them. You mention in particular the song The God That Failed. Perhaps some context for the song might help. James (the guy who wrote the lyrics) was raised in a Christian science household. Medicine and doctors were anathema. His mom ended up dying from cancer when James was a teenager, possibly because the family refused to get medical treatment for it. From his perspective, as a 16 year old kid, I'm sure that it seemed to James like God had failed. I'm sure his father abandoning him shortly afterwards didn't help.

So yeah, he carried some anger and frustration with him for a while, and wrote the song partly as an outlet for those feelings. I'm not going to judge him for that. Also, besides the above stuff he went through, in the following clip James talks a bit about the alienation he felt as a kid because of his parents religious beliefs (skip to 2:08 for the interview bit)...

He has since come to terms with some of those problems, and now believes in God, and from what I've heard became a Roman Catholic.

Also, your post seems to be pointing mostly to lyrical issues and artwork. What about bands that don't have anti-Christian lyrics and artwork, and perhaps even have pro-religious and pro-Christian stuff?

I personally can't listen to death metal. I REALLY don't understand how a lot of growling or shrieking is any good for the soul. For me, it sounds like the singer is in pain...and while many artists express their pain through song, I can't bear it. Personal opinion.

I have this certain "feeling" when I'm listening to metal that isn't any good, and I'll just turn it off. However, I think that lumping all metal in one category isn't exactly fair.

I am NOT going to argue that metal is Christian or not (although there is a lot of Christian metal out there...I just haven't found an artist that I liked yet), but here's an example. I listen to a lot of symphonic metal, which draws from metal as well as opera, pop, rock, etc. Some artists use Christian imagery, or religious imagery in general. Within Temptation's "Our Solemn Hour" is a good example.

This is true across the genre. I have heard the saying that without religion, there cannot be metal. That's not always a positive thing, as many people use the music to deride religion or promote hedonistic lifestyles. For me, I can't listen to too much of that (I'll only listen to certain songs if I am ridiculously impressed with the instrumentals/singing voice/etc). But there are many songs with lyrics that I don't find objectionable in any way.

But I wouldn't claim that an entire genre is "incompatible."

I won't pretend that I don't think about this though...whether I should be listening to worldly music or reading worldly books at all.

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She's touring the facility/and picking up slack.--"For in much wisdom is much grief, and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow." Ecclesiastes 1:18--I once believed in causes too, I had my pointless point of view --Life went on no matter who was wrong or right

I've always had a huge interest in heavy music. Not so much death metal, but hardcore, thrash and d-beat greatness. Some crust stuff too. Disfear, Grave Maker, Black Dahlia Murder, Have Heart, Converge, Mammoth Grinder, Trap Them, Pulling Teeth, Outbreak, Bane, Champion, American Nightmare, Defeater; you get the picture. I have trouble listening to them now because I feel it is at odds with our faith. Full of passion and emotion; hardly sober and hopeful. I'm trying to slowly give it up but its hard and its a process.

« Last Edit: May 10, 2011, 02:27:26 PM by CBGardner »

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Authentic zeal is not directed towards anything but union in Christ, or against anything but our own fallenness.

BUT SURELY we can all see where the RC 'folk Mass' eventually leads when you view this amazing video of a completely blasphemous version of a 'Liturgy' held in a US Roman Catholic Church which involves choreography and GIANT PUPPETS... Yes Giant Puppets...Look at it and be amazed and appalled all at one

Lazarus A.D. - Black Rivers Flow - Nothing really stands out except the title songBecoming the Archetype - Celestial Compilation - I like this album, but then I'm not a big BtA fan, so I went into the album not expecting a lotDestruction - Day of Reckoning - Can't get into itSymphony X - Iconoclast - Can't get into itObscura - Omnivium - Can't get into itOnslaught - Sounds of Violence - Can't get into itHavok - Time Is Up - A moderate let down after a good debutBeliever - Transhuman - A moderate let down after their awesome comeback album Gabriel

I still have to buy albums by Opeth, Mastodon, and Megadeth, though based on the clips I've heard I don't have high expectations...

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who can watch the watchmen?"No one is paying attention to your post reports"Why do posters that claim to have me blocked keep sending me pms and responding to my posts? That makes no sense.

There are more punk rockers and headbangers in the church than you think.

Now if we could just get some of them to put something awesome together (a band?).

Lets do it, the OC.net collaboration album, this is what we do on other band related forums, I have worked on the Sonic Youth Gossip (forum) Compilation as well, its a lot of fun. Somebody just has to spear head the mix-down and collect all the submissions. Members are designated parts (drums, guitar, bass etc etc) and email their tracks to each other and then put them together.

I'm sure there are lots of heavy bands with Orthodox members in them... And besides, many people have pre-conceived notions about how all Christian metal or Christian rock is awful, so probably quite a few people don't want to be associated with it and would rather just be seen as Christians playing in a (secular) band. This is actually something I'm struggling with at the moment.

Of course as an artist, I agree with your sentiment of "pre-conceived notions" as I personally don't like playing in specifically "Christian" bands as I think it is limiting for art. As an artist I am already a Christian and so ALL of my art reflects Christianity, I don't feel the need to accentuate or make it any more obvious, I prefer to work subtly and let the art speak for itself, so I for one would have those objections

Anyway, don't many Orthodox have a strong aversion to rock music in general?

Many Orthodox Christians do, and then again others do not. Personally, I am absorbed in intelligent yet aggressive music, tool is my favorite, but I grew up on Crust and Chaos punk so blast beats are my thing

For me, the edge and aggression that listening (and playing/writing, I am a musician as well and I play reggae and blues but also metal and punk equally) to this music brings is related to the sense of repentance. I myself use this music as a vehicle to sort out aggression, frustration, fear, and anger through the music. I use the music to help make sense of my feelings and work them out tangibly, so that the vibrations of the sound waves can carry them away, worked out and resolved. It is therefore therapeutic to me. Some folks think this music is energized by Satan, but as a musician I completely disagree. Some "Gospel" music is energized by Satan when it is not played in sincerity just as some of this aggressive music can be energized by the Holy Spirit when played by Christians from their hearts.

Can't say that I agree. Metal gives me peace, comforts me in times of depression and sorrow, gives me an outlet or way of channeling anger and aggression, and frankly I find some of it to be quite beautiful (though I wouldn't expect someone not into metal--or even most metalheads--to consider metal "beautiful").

For me, this music is energized by the human heart trying to make sense of a sometimes confusing emotional world. This music's sound and lyrics cover the entire range of the human condition and experience, and that is a valuable insight sometimes. Art should reflect the complexity and totality of being human, and the Bible is as angst-filled as any other art. I think that the sound of aggressive metal would be equally appropriate soundtracks to some Biblical scenes and in my life it serves the same purpose which is also why I read a variety of novels, to better understand myself through these vehicles of expression.

Stay blessed,habte selassie

« Last Edit: January 03, 2012, 05:28:08 PM by HabteSelassie »

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"Yet stand aloof from stupid questionings and geneologies and strifes and fightings about law, for they are without benefit and vain." Titus 3:10